A Graduate’s Perspective: Oscar Moreno

09 October 2014

Oscar Moreno never planned to stay on to work in Singapore after he finished his study at TUM Asia’s Master of Science in Transport & Logistics, offered by Technische Universitaet Muenchen (TUM). But 4 years later, he has gone on to work and live in this island-city since graduating in 2012, while exploring places of interest in the region during his holidays. We catch up with Oscar to find out why and how he decided to stay on in Singapore.

Born in Colombia, Oscar completed his undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering and decided that he wanted to further his studies with a Masters degree. He applied to numerous universities for his postgraduate degree, both in Europe and in Asia.

Oscar, how did you end up choosing to study with TUM in Singapore?

I actually received multiple offers from European universities on top of the offer by TUM Asia. I couldn’t decide, so I flipped a coin – and the rest is history.

Was staying on to work in Singapore a decision you made from the start?

No actually. It was something I decided much later on.

What made you choose to stay on in Singapore then?

A friend of mine that I played football with offered me an interesting job position upon graduation. I thought to myself, why not, since it was motivating and attractive. Another reason of course is that I could continue to get to know the culture better if I stayed longer and learn new skills. The chance to travel in the region and get to explore Asia was also a factor that made me stay.

So what is one thing that you really like about Singapore?

The best thing about Singapore is that the lifestyle is relaxed and is a very safe place to live in. Additionally, it is easy to find people/friends with similar cultural backgrounds, regardless of your nationality.

How about Colombia? Do you miss Colombia? Will you move home one day?

Yes I do miss Colombia, especially the friendliness among people. In Colombia, people are eager to help one another, even if they are strangers. And of course, Colombia has many pretty ladies! I will definitely move home one day.

Now that you have been here for a few years, could you share some advice with potential students?

One should definitely come to Singapore if you want to get to know different cultures. Do stay patient and open-minded as you will need time to understand so many different cultures in a small country.

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Oscar (first from left) with his classmates & professor during a cycling trip to Pulau Ubin